PORTLAND – Some 200 Iraqi refugees are headed for Maine in the coming months.

Catholic Charities Maine said these so-called “secondary migrants” previously had found homes in other states but expressed a desire to move to Portland in order to join an Iraqi family who settled there.

Catholic Charities said that while it does not control the movement of secondary migrants, it suggests that they pace out their arrivals to Maine so that social service providers are better prepared for them.